Word Confusion: Gazpacho versus Gestapo

Posted September 29, 2022 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

I gotta say, I can’t get excited about Gestapo soup. Gazpacho soup, now that I can get behind.

Basic gazpacho soup starts with tomatoes and green peppers, and I absolutely adore it in the summer.

The Gestapo? I ain’t inviting these torturing thugs over for a meal!

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Gazpacho Gestapo

A waxed container of gazpacho soup

Alvalle Gazpacho l’original 50 cl – 500 ml by phiji via Open Food Facts.


A museum exhibition of uniforms, militaria, memorabilia, smaller items, etc. related to World War II during the German occupation of Norway.

Gestapo by Juanjo Marin is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of the Lofoten War Memorial Museum.

Part of Grammar:
Noun

Plural: gazpachos, gaspachos

Alternate spelling: gaspacho

A.k.a. Andalusian gazpacho

Noun

Plural: Gestapo

A Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables and spices, served cold The German secret police under Nazi rule
Examples:
In warm weather, we enjoy gazpacho.

Let’s have a gazpacho soup for a starter.

Naturally, there are a number of variations on gazpacho.

Gazpacho has been mentioned in Greek and Roman literature, but without its signature tomatoes or green peppers.

The Gestapo ruthlessly suppressed opposition to the Nazis in Germany and occupied Europe, and sent Jewish people and others to concentration camps.

From 1936 the Gestapo was headed by Heinrich Himmler.

The sole purpose of the SS was to protect Hitler; the Gestapo was a short-lived police organization that was a combination of the various political police agencies of Prussia.

The Gestapo was declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg trials.

History of the Word:
Derived from the Arabic for soaked bread.

Borrowed into English from the Spanish around 1835–45.

A German abbreviation, from Geheime Staatspolizei meaning secret state police.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Gazpacho versus Gestapo

Apple Dictionary.com

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Gazpacho Cazuela Barro by Bocadorada is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Gestapo Klatovy is Stzeman‘s own work and under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Both are via Wikimedia Commons.

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